UNTHSC Commencement is tomorrowThe UNT Health Science Center will award degrees to 285 students from all four schools at commencement ceremonies tomorrow at 3 pm at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena. U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, MD, will provide the commencement address. For the first time, the Health Science Center as an institution will present the Chancellor’s Award for Scholarly Excellence and the President’s Award for Scholarly Excellence during the ceremony.

The ceremony is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required for admission. Commissioning ceremonies for students joining the military will take place immediately following the commencement ceremony. President Scott Ransom will host a reception in the Convention Center Ballroom after the ceremony. For more details on commencement, visit the Registrar’s Office Web site.

Students and faculty honored at awards banquetsBefore our graduates walk the stage and receive their diplomas at commencement, it is each school’s annual tradition to honor and reward their students and faculty at an awards banquet. At the banquets, awards and scholarships are given to students for exceptional performance in academics and research. Congratulations to all faculty, staff and especially students who were honored at these banquets.

Click on individual links for more information and photos from each banquet.

TCOM named TMA’s Chapter of the YearFor the second consecutive year, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (TCOM) Texas Medical Association (TMA) - Medical Students Section (MSS) was named TMA’s Chapter of the Year. TCOM’s chapter was selected by the TMA Student Executive Council for its involvement in the community and efforts to inform its student body about current legislative and political happenings. The award was presented at TMA’s annual TexMed conference in Austin on May 1.

Dubin named interim dean of TCOMOn May 1, Bruce Dubin, DO, JD, was named to a temporary appointment as interim dean of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) and Alan Podawiltz, DO, MS, was named to a temporary appointment as interim vice president for Health Affairs. Dr. Dubin reports to Dr. Podawiltz, who in turn reports to Thomas Yorio, PhD, as provost. These changes meet the requirement of the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) that the dean be board certified by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

H1N1 Flu updateAlthough talk of the H1N1 flu is waning, the Health Science Center continues to monitor the situation and continues to post updates to its Web page. We are still in the “alert” stage of our emergency plan. Faculty, staff, students and their families are encouraged to remain vigilant for flu symptoms and to practice preventive measures until the Centers for Disease Control and county officials lower the threat level.

NOTE: Influenza viruses, especially new ones, produce disease in two or three waves, and the waves can be separated by six to 12 months. Because influenza viruses are notoriously hard to predict, we need to plan for the worst and hope for the best during the coming fall-winter flu season.

Each session will feature an address by specially selected experts, followed by a panel discussion. CME credit is available. Poster presentations and STAR Fellowship Awards will be presented on Friday.

Communications Team Recognizing that communication gets more complex as our institution grows, President Scott Ransom created the Communications Team earlier this year. The team, composed of more than 130 representatives from throughout the institution, is designed to help ensure that communication flows freely – up and down – throughout the organization. Members meet every other month to learn about key Health Science Center issues and receive talking points to simplify information sharing.
The Communications Team members created smaller action committees to address these issues:

A special task force of Communications Team members is exploring how our institutional values – compassion, integrity, teamwork, innovation, pride and excellence – can be exhibited throughout the organization. Watch for more about this initiative in the June 5 Campus Connection.